Previously, insulating material in the form of folded flexible metal foil blankets have been installed in building structures using wooden studs, beams or framing members attached with nails, staples, tacks, brads or the like.
Benedict in U.S. Pat. No. 2,101,836 discloses a tack for fastening insulating blankets to framing members with the ends of the blanket folded over for support. U.S. Pat. No. 2,251,585 of Finck likewise utilized tacks to attach a blanket to the studs with a marginal strip added by sewing, pasting etc. Giles, U.S. Pat. No. 2,739,703 employs adhesive, staples or the like to an overlapped section of insulation comprising of kraft paper treated with asphalt and metalized with heat reflective material. Nails are applied as fasteners by Schwartz et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,777,786 for fastening purposes. Wiser teaches the use of a tack to the outer panel members of the heat reflective sheet.
Fastening into wood surfaces of prior art is well known however, the need has existed for a simple device for use with metal structural members to attach easily and maintain tension of the insulation blanket between the span.
Joyce in U.S. Pat. No. 2,385,209 takes advantage of a clamp adapted to a beam, however the flange of the member is only engaged by the clamp itself without providing mounting surfaces contiguous with the web.
Williams in U.S. Pat. No. 925,962 issued in Great Britain uses a U-clip for flange mounting however, the flange of the clip, while in intimate contact with the web, lacks sufficient surface area to support insulating blankets. U.S. Pat. No. 3,164,230 of Adams uses a spring clip attached to a T-bar but again only limited surface contact is maintained.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention relates reference may be made to the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,786,004--Schwartz, et al PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,906,655--Blumenstein PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,914,148--Bock PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,910--Wendt (Netherlands) PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 7,614,053--Alco (Great Britain) PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 869,718 --United-Carr Fastener Corporation
No prior art presently provides the combination of attaching reflective insulation blankets with retaining clips to static structural building members.